The present disclosure relates to a key input device.
In recent years, there is a very remarkable trend of making thinner PCs (Personal Computers) and mobile information equipment, and it has become more important than before to develop thinner PCs and mobile information equipment. In particular, it is important to make thinner clam-shell PCs and mobile information equipment. Meanwhile, to make thinner a body of a PC or mobile information equipment, reduction of the height of a key input device is conceivable. However, excessive reduction of the thickness of a keyboard makes it difficult to ensure a stroke in key input, and thus it can be said that there is a tradeoff between ensuring key touch and reducing the height of the key input device.
To enable both ensuring key touch and reducing the height of the key input device, there is a technique of interlocking keytops with opening and closing of a liquid crystal display, for example. When the liquid crystal display is closed, the keytops are lowered to a full-stroke position. Examples of such a technique include: a technique of closing the liquid crystal display while a columnar support of a pantograph is horizontally moved in conjunction with the liquid crystal display; and a technique of lowering keytops by moving a sheet with holes in parallel with the keytops and by putting a spring structure portion incorporated into a pantograph into the corresponding hole in the sheet (see JP H11-134091A, for example).
There is also a technology of utilizing an adhesion force or a suction force due to a magnet force between magnets for obtaining force of holding the position of the keytops, instead of using rubber domes and pantograph mechanisms, or tactile switches. Further, combining a technology of obliquely sliding the keytops makes it possible to ensure key touch while ensuring strokes. This technology can contribute to thickness reduction of a key input device.